The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-08-11
MORELIA.
A Description of the Capital of Michoa
can.


Morelia, the present capital of the
State of Michoacan, is city of L
should think, fifty thousand to sixty
thousand inhabitants, bright, cheerful,
well built, surrounded by lovely hilly
country, and at an elevation of about
| fifty-fve hundred feet. am conscious
that / am open to the charge of en-
thusiasm in general expressions of adj
miration for this charming and inter
esting city, and / have hardly space in
this paper for details to make good
my partiality. 1t is unnecessary to 90
elsewhere for more delicious climate
than we found there i'll the month of
March The charm of the air is indie
scribable-so fresh, so balmy, so full
of ife-days of strong, genial sun,
nights of mild serenity, SO dry and
temperate that we sat in the public
square at midnight without need of a
| wrap. -.
| shall speak of some of the peculiar
features of the place without any at
tempt at exhaustive or systematic de-
scription. The hotel accommodation
| is inadequate, and the restaurant fire.
quented by strangers in third class.
The new hotel, slowly rising room by
room, on the plaza, promises to change
all this. The cathedral has massive
| towers and great domes, and although
of the Spanish composite order of
architecture, is a noble building, the
finest in Mexico. In full moonlight,
or in the rosy light of sunset, 1t is
wonderfully beautiful. In the large
tower hangs the monster bell, which is
rarely sounded. but there are many
others of moderate size which are con-
tinually Ginning. All these bells, and
indeed nearly all the bells in the repub-
lie, are remarkable for sweetness and
softness of tone. 1t is very rarely
that one hears harsh bell. They are
exceedingly melodious and pleasing.
| 1t is sometimes explained that is due
to the mixture of silver in the bell
metal, and that the new bells are cast
from old metal. | believe that the
chief reason why the Mexican bells are
so much more musical than ours is that
the Mexican bells are artistically
made, shaped with reference to tone,
thin at the edge, each one a work of
art intelligently manipulated, not me-
chanically cast without reference to
the sound it shall produce. The great
bells are struck with clapper, and
not swung. There would be much
less objection to the use of church
bells in the United States-the harsh
and barbarous jangle which shocks
the Sunday stillness-if our bells had
any of the musical quality of the Mex
lean. The houses of Morelia are gem
orally plain and mostly of one story,
but in the principal streets and about
the plaza are many buildings of fine
proportions and simple, noble facades,
with elegant carvings in low relief.
Even the new buildings in light cream
colored stone preserve the old ele-
gance, the architects being as yet un-
touched by the modern craze for mon
strous roofs, oddity, and over-orna-
mentation.
At the end of the main street begins
THE Calzada- literally, the ''shade-
place" Here, on and near an open
square, are the lighthouses - cheap
swimming tanks for the populace-
and the decorated courts and apart
ments for the more wealthy. Not far
off is most humane institutional
-bath-a large, deep reservoir,
the horses are taken and enjoy a re-
freshing swim. The Calzada is half a
mule of large ash-trees arched over a
wide, paved trottoir, with continu-
Gus row of high-backed stone benches
on each side. 1t is famous place for
promenading in the late afternoon.
The drive runs on each side, fronted
by row of low, plain residences with
pretty courts and fiower-gardens
Upon some of the walls we saw the
gorgeous camelina (or Bourgenvilla)
vine, the terminal leaf like flower
some red and others purple.
The stroller, who is detained by the
pleasantness of this shaded Calzada,
Is surprised to find at the end OF it
new wonders-an open, tree-planted
space; in front of him a picturesque
old convent church with quaint towers
| and to the right the great arches .of
| aqueducts and enhancing vistas of
forest and mountains. As he ad-
vances step by step and the view opens
his wonder increases. The place is
unique, bewildering. Tie charm of
the party-colored church is increased
by rows of ancient cedars in front,
which all lean slanting across its
facade, as if swept by strong wind.
Some say that an earthquake gave these
venerable trees this cart. To the
right, paths lead under the arches of
the aqueduct to the Alameda. The
aqueduct, reminding one of the noble
structures that stride across the Roman
Campagna, comes in from the mount
aims, and skirts the Alameda, while
branch at sharp angle runs toward
the town. Thus series of noble in
terlacing arches is presented to the
eye as one approaches from the
Calzada, and the view through these is
SO novel and beautiful that tie specta-
tor is literally spell-bound with de-
light. The glimpse of forests and pur-
pie hills through the arches is lovely,
and the perspective of the giant aque-
duct across the plain to the mountains
is noble.
Passing under the arches, we enter
the Alameda, which is unlike any
other in the world. 1t is at once a
forest and tangled garden, once
trim and well kept, now more beautiful
than ever in its neglected luxuriance
and "reminiscences of former order. 1t
has the charm of some old garden of a
once magnlncent estate Inc grounds
are couple of miles in circumference,
circled by charming drive. The
original plan seems to have been paths
like the spokes of a wheel from a
''round" in the center, but outside this
round there are other centres, and in
tersecting walks, offering in every di-
rection the most charming vistas,
through arching trees and vines and
altees of flowers and tropical foliage.
Although this park is public ground,
individuals have obtained the privilege
of living here and cultivating vegeta-
BILE gardens and flowers, and here
and there the wanderer comes
across half-ruined cottage hidden
in the rampant vegetation, sur
rounded by hedges of roses, acres of
sweet-pe&s, acres of carnations,